PlaceSpeak

Based in Vancouver, PlaceSpeak, like many of the other platforms discussed, is an online community engagement and public consultation platform designed to connect people with issues affecting their local communities. As such, the platform allows for participants to post and share ideas, and administrators to post background information and survey constituents.

However, the distinguishing characteristic of PlaceSpeak is that it requires users to first input their residential address so the program can link user identities with geographic locations. This allows administrators to focus a dialogue on residents in targeted, specific neighborhoods, and helps to ensure that feedback received is from the people who will be most affected by the project or policy in question. Additionally, the geo-tagging feature facilitates future notification and engagement of residents in the event that another project necessitating extensive public engagement should arise in a neighborhood that has already used the platform. The majority of the projects the company has been involved with have been in the greater Vancouver area and other provinces of Canada.

There are different strata of PlaceSpeak platforms. Plans range from the most basic level Bronze ($200 annual fee + $20 monthly), to Gold ($5000 annually + $500 a month). There is also an Enterprise level boasting the most features; however the pricing for this plan is customized per the needs and wants of the customer.